‘Very blessed’: 82-year-old pilot walks away unharmed after helicopter crash

(WJET) – An 82-year-old recreational pilot is counting his blessings after his helicopter crashed in North East, Pennsylvania Thursday morning.

Douglas Duer, of Erie, walked away unharmed and is calling the incident “a hard landing.”

He was doing a demonstration flight for some friends around 10 a.m. at Moorhead Airpark, when he said the helicopter did a dynamic roll to the right.

It happened when the helicopter was about 10 feet above the ground.

The rollover may have been caused by a gust of wind. The helicopter’s frame hit the ground at full power and was totaled.

Duer has been flying for 64 years but said the morning flight was his last.

“I feel very blessed, really. I tell people nothing keeps you closer to the Lord than flying a helicopter,” Duer said.

Duer says he was hoping to beat Chuck Yeager’s record, who flew into his 90s, but he said he had a good run.

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